Come on, Feel the Noise
by SoxGirl18
Summary: Johnny's hidden talent is discovered as he makes an unlikely friend. Spinner Mason. Not a Jalli romance but still worth reading.*FINISHED*
1. Chapter 1

"_So ya think I got an evil mind, I'll tell ya honey, I don't know why." Come on Feel the Noise, Quiet Riot 1983_

**Come on, Feel the Noise**

**Chapter 1**

Johnny DiMarco moved his black chess piece into place, winning the game. It had been over a year since he last played chess and he hadn't lost his touch.

"Check mate, sucka!" he said to his opponent with a cocky grin. His opponent, Earle, was a part time math instructor at the Temple Community College and has always been Johnny's strongest competitor. He heaved a deep sigh and rolled his eyes at Johnny.

"Am I ever gonna beat you in this lifetime, Johnny?" he asked.

"I dunno, maybe," Johnny replied. "Come on, pay up. You know the rules." Johnny held out his hand and Earle gave him a 20 dollar bill. Johnny pocketed the cash, thanked Earle for a great game, and got up to leave.

Johnny wasn't supposed to be where he was or doing what he was doing. He could be in Montgomery Park, he just couldn't be in the area where the chess tables were, This was where guys who were too smart for their own good challenged each other to games of chess and waged bets.

This wasn't some Degrassi Rook and Knight Society geek fest. No, these guys didn't just play chess, they hustled chess.

Not only was Johnny not supposed be at the chess tables near the Collins Avenue entrance, he also couldn't be seen at the basketball courts near the Poulet Street entrance, or near the Temple Street entrance which was the prime area for Three Card Monty or the Shell Game.

That meant the only places Johnny could go in the park were the playground, the fountain and the benches were lovers held hands and old people fed the pigeons. All of which were located in plain view near the main entrance on Montgomery Street.

Montgomery Park was in the heart of the Rows neighborhood and it was the source of most of Johnny DiMarco's so-called job experience.

Ever since grade nine, Johnny has been going to the park to score quick cash. He already knew how to play chess in grade school, when he was a good boy, He just parlayed his skills into speed chess and became a force to be reckoned with. He was the youngest and one of the best chess hustlers in Montgomery Park. Judging from today, he still was, even after nearly two years of not playing.

Johnny also learned to scam people from watching the older guys run Three Card Monty and Shell game schemes. Soon he was bilking honest people out of their hard earned money. He further supplemented his income by placing bets on pickup basketball games.

He was then promoted to hustling the bowling alley and the pool hall where he could beat the pants off anyone and rob them blind.

Small time gambling proved to be very lucrative for Johnny. It was how he bought his mom presents for Christmas and her birthday. He always told her he got the extra money from doing odd jobs like recycling or mowing lawns. She would've been disappointed if she knew the truth.

His business ventures soon ended when some guy he hustled at the bowling alley reported him to the police. Thanks to tips from various concerned citizens, most notably Mrs. Kelly, the neighborhood busy body, the police found him in the park watching pickup basketball. Johnny was let off with a warning since they didn't have any evidence against him.

Johnny didn't have another run in with the law until he witnessed his friend Drake stab some kid six months later. He still got in trouble, but he managed to stay under the radar.

He moved his business across the train tacks to Degrassi Park where people had more money but were less likely to report being conned out of it. Johnny still remembers the first time he set up shop there. He managed to con two socialites from Degrassi Community School, Paige Michalchuck and Hazel Aden, out of their generous allowances. They didn't report him to the police because they were too embarrassed to admit that they had been had by a hood rat.

The reluctance of rich people to admit when people like Johnny had gotten the better of them proved to be a blessing. Business was booming.

Until Drake stabbed that kid and went to jail. Johnny was sentenced to five years' probation as an accessory to murder.

But on this Saturday morning, Johnny was in need of cash. His mom's social assistance was converted to survivor's benefits after she passed on. But now Johnny was living in Covington House, a group home for disadvantaged male youth, and his checks were sent directly to the home and deposited into a trust fund. It was so he would have money to live on when he was ready to move out. He was given a monthly allowance of 30 dollars and it was running out.

His allowance was to be used for personal care items, cigarettes and other extras. But Johnny's car had broken down last week and he couldn't afford to have it fixed or even to buy tools to fix it himself.

So, out of desperation, he woke up early and took the bus into the old 'hood. He had to make sure he was out of the park by noon when the cops began patroling the area.

He was greeted by old friends and it was as if he had never left the chess tables. But he had to stay out of trouble if he wanted to stay at Covington House. It was time for him to get a real job. He played one game against Earle, took his winnings and went down into the subway toward Degrassi Street.

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of my new story. I promise it won't be as long as Open Your Heart. This story picks up where Living on a Prayer left off.**

**The places and street names mentioned in this chapter are all fictional. I do not own Degrassin or the song "Come on Feel the Noise" by Quiet Riot.**


	2. Chapter 2

******A/N: I would like to thank Twilightwicked5678 for beta reading this chapter for me.**

**Chapter 2**

Once on the subway train, Johnny sat down and pulled a paper out of his jacket pocket. It was a printout that Ms. Sauve' had given him; she got it from the Youth Job Board website. Even though Johnny now had regular computer access at Covinngton House, he still wasn't too computer savvy aside from the occasional email at school or downloading MP3s from Bruce's computer to the iPod he stole from Peter Stone.

Johnny decided the best strategy was to go to each of these places in the order they were in on the sheet. Each of these places had recently posted ads looking for part time help and they were supposed to be arranged by address. The closest places to school were at the top of the list.

Johnny noticed the place at the top of the list. He didn't really want to go to this place begging for a job, but they needed a dishwasher and Johnny needed a job.

So he swallowed his pride, got off the train at the Degrassi Street station and headed toward a place he hadn't been to in quite a while. A place he hoped never to go to again.

The Dot.

Ever since that prick, Spinner Mason, became the manager, Johnny avoided that place like the plague, although they did have killer breakfast sandwiches and great coffee.

Johnny arrived at The Dot just in time for the lunch rush. He didn't quite have the guts to approach Spinner at the counter right away, so he took a seat at a table closest to the door. Holly J Sinclair approached the table to take his order.

"Johnny DiMarco! I haven't seen you in here before," she said sarcastically. Actually, he stopped coming there before she started working there. "What can I get you?" she asked, more businesslike.

"Get me a double bacon cheeseburger with fries and coleslaw on the side with a Coke and a slice of cheesecake," he responded, using everything in his power to keep from lashing out at her.

"What kind of cheesecake? We have strawberry, blueberry, cherry and plain."

"Blueberry." Johnny handed Holly J his menu.

"Coming right up," she said and walked away.

"Are you sure you can afford all this?" she asked when she came back with his food. She was really trying his patience today, but he managed to keep his cool.

"Thank you, Holly J," he said, giving her look. She walked away without saying another word.

Johnny took a bite out of his hamburger. The employees of The Dot may have attitude problems, but their food was delicious. He tried to ignore Holly J and Spinner at the counter looking at him and talking.

When Johnny got up to pay the check, he heard a familiar sound coming from the restaurant's stereo system. It was a drum roll, but not just any drum roll. It was the intro to a song called "Hypnotized" by a band called Whiskey River that was once very popular on the South Ontario bar circuit.

That drum roll was the signature of Bullet, the band's drummer.

Johnny approached the counter and paid Spinner. When he didn't leave after paying, Spinner looked at him expectantly.

"Something else I can help you with?" asked Spinner.

"Yeah," said Johnny, "Where'd you get this CD?" Once he heard the song's intro, he forgot all about applying for the job.

"It belonged to my dad," replied Spinner suspiciously.

"You know that this is a limited edition CD, right?" inquired Johnny.

"Well, my dad bought it from the band when they played The Den of Thieves back in the early 90s," Spinner said defensively. The Den of Thieves was a popular nightclub back then. It was also where Johnny's mom had worked as a cocktail waitress before she became too sick to work.

The CD was recorded in 1993 when Johnny was a year and a half old.

"That drummer, Bullet," said Johnny. "He's pretty amazing, huh?"

"Bullet?" said Spinner. "Yeah, he's awesome."

"Do you know his real name?" Johnny challenged Spinner. "Because I do. His real name is Tony DiMarco and he's my dad."

"No way man," said Spinner, shaking his head and laughing. "You're lying. I mean DiMarco's a pretty common last name, especially in Little Italy."

"Well, it just so happens that I'm related to this DiMarco," Johnny snapped. That wasn't the only DiMarco Johnny was related to. His estranged grandfather was Giovanni DiMarco, the well-known restaurateur. He was the owner of La Piazza in Little Italy and La Trattoria in the Corso Italia neighborhood.

But no one ever made the connection between Giovanni and Johnny because, well, DiMarco was a common last name.

"I don't care if you don't believe me, dude." Johnny said,

"Well that's good, because I don't," Spinner retorted.

Suddenly Johnny remembered the reason he came to The Dot in the first place. But he couldn't very well ask Spinner for a job now.

"You know what?" said Johnny. "I was going to ask about the dish washing job, but I might as well forget it!" He stormed out the front door, slamming it behind him.

"Yeah?" Spinner called out after him. "I wouldn't hire you anyway, hood rat!" He turned and looked at Holly J who had been standing there listening to the whole exchange.

"Can you believe the nerve of that guy, Holly J?" Spinner vented.

"Yeah, he didn't even leave a tip," she scoffed.

"I mean, he honestly expects me to believe that Bullet from Whiskey River is his dad," he said, ignoring Holly J's comment.

"Spin, I won't even pretend to understand that kid," said Holly J, shaking her head.

"Well, you went to Lakehurst with him," said Spinner. "Do you know anything about his family?"

"Well, I hate to burst your bubble, Spin, but there was talk that his dad was in some band," Holly J told Spinner. "But I never paid much attention because, personally, I don't like the guy. Besides, it's not like his dad's Chad Kroger."

After Holly J walked away, Spinner reached under the counter and grabbed the CD case. Looking in the liner notes, he saw that the drummer's name was Tony "Bullet" DiMarco.

_Nah, _Spinner thought to himself. _That still doesn't mean anything._

Meanwhile, Johnny wasn't having too much luck with his job search. He put in applications at the hardware store, the fish market and the drugstore. But the grocery store and the bookstore already filled their open positions, and the Indian restaurant told him they wouldn't hire him unless he cut his hair.

That left one last place, the auto repair shop.

The only problem with the auto repair shop was that Spinner's best friend, Jay Hogart, worked there.

Jay was from Johnny's old neighborhood but he thought he was better because he lived on Priscilla Street up along the train tracks. Everybody who lived along the tracks thought they were better than anyone who lived closer to Temple Street. Johnny could never understand why. Every time the freight trains passed by the TV reception got messed up and it was hard to talk on the phone.

Another thing Johnny couldn't understand was how Jay Hogart ever got a job in an auto repair shop. The auto mechanics teacher at Degrassi always used Jay as an example of what not to do.

"Always remember to wear a filter mask when you change the break pads. New pads give off a lot of dust. You'll choke without a mask. I don't want to have to do mouth to mouth on any of you guys like I had to do with Jay Hogart," he would say.

"Pay attention when you put the battery in. Don't put it in up side down. Jay Hogart made that mistake and I'd like to think that you all know better," was another thing he liked to say.

Rumor had it that the sex van in the ravine once belonged to Jay. Supposedly, he got super drunk, drove his van into the ravine and crashed into a tree. He tried to get it to run again, but he couldn't.

But as much as Johnny dreaded the prospect of having to talk that bonehead, he knew he had to. He couldn't afford to have another confrontation.

Jay was working on a car when Johnny entered the garage. The radio was on full blast and the latest song from Nickelback was playing.

"Hey!" Johnny yelled over the music. Jay looked up and went to turn down the radio.

"Yeah?" said Jay

"I wanna apply for the job," said Johnny. Jay looked Johnny up and down with disdain and snorted.

"Do you have experience fixing cars?" asked Jay condescendingly. If Johnny wasn't at Jay's mercy right now, he'd clock him.

"I took auto shop in school," Johnny. 'You know Mr. Matthews still speaks very highly of you to this day." Jay cringed slightly.

"Well, the manager's not here right now," said Jay. "But I'll give you an application. Just fill it out and bring it back." Jay walked over to the manager's desk. Without wiping the motor oil off his hands, he picked up an application and handed it to Johnny. Johnny made a face and without thanking Jay, he left.

When he got home, there was still time before dinner. He went to his room to chill. Today was the first time in four years that Johnny even thought about Whiskey River.

Whiskey River had been hot on the local music scene from the mid 80s and throughout the 90s. There were close to getting a deal with a major record label. But then along came Nickelback, who had a sound similar to Whiskey River, but they did it better. People started to forget about Whiskey River.

The band finally broke up after Tony DiMarco went to jail for drug possession. It was a shame. Despite his issues, Bullet was an amazing drummer. He taught his son, Johnny, everything he knew.

Johnny wanted to follow in his dad's footsteps and become a professional drummer. He was three years old when Tony sat him at his drum kit. Johnny couldn't reach the bass drum pedal but Tony gave him his drumsticks and just let him bang away. But he wasn't just banging on the drums; he was actually playing a rhythm.

Tony was soon taking his son to rehearsals so he could show him off. Johnny seemed to have a natural rhythm. Maybe it was all the time Johnny's mom spent around the band when she was pregnant. It might be said that Johnny was born to play the drums. In grade school, teachers used to yell at him for drumming on his desk with pencils.

One thing hardly anyone knew about Johnny was that he subscribed to _Modern Drummer_ magazine. He hadn't missed an issue since he was 12. But after his dad's arrest, Johnny sometimes felt resentful when he read it.

He read articles about professional drummers who were around his age, like Ilan Rubin of Lostprophets and Nine Inch Nails and Steven Spence of Black Tide. There was also Jay Weinberg whose dad, Max Weinberg, played for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. He filled in for his father when the band toured last summer. And then there was Mike Byrne, who had just been chosen to drum for Smashing Pumpkins.

Johnny couldn't help but be aware that, if circumstances were different, he could be where these guys are now.

His thoughts soon turned to a the time when he first played in front of a crowd. He was eight years old. He and his dad went to visit his dad's friend, Jose Chavez, who was the bass player for Whiskey River. Jose also owned The Grace Note, a musical instrument store. Tony was looking at a Ludwig Legacy Classic drum kit with red sparkle finish. It was in the front display window.

Johnny took a pair of sticks from the counter, sat down on the stool and began to play. As he played, a small crowd gathered outside the window. Johnny was oblivious; he was too into playing to notice what was going on around him. When he stopped playing, the crowd outside applauded.

That kit would later be the one Tony played for Whiskey River. It was the one he played on the CD and the one Tony promised Johnny for his 13th birthday that Johnny never received.

Suddenly, an idea came to him. After Johnny's mom died, Jose had told Johnny to let him know if he needed anything.

Johnny took the oil-smudged application from the auto shop out of his jacket pocket and dropped it in his wastebasket.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thak you to CorianderSpice and Twilightwicked5678 for beta reading this chapter.**

**Chapter 3**

Johnny walked into the Grace Note on Sunday morning. He hadn't been inside that place in so long, yet nothing had changed. It still looked the same, smelled the same and felt the same. Back when Johnny was younger and life was good, this was his favorite place.

The owner and proprietor of the store, Jose Chavez, was busy going over inventory sheets and didn't see Johnny come in.

"Jose?" said Johnny, getting his attention.

"Junito!"exclaimed Jose upon seeing Johnny. Junito was the nickname he gave Johnny when he was little. Loosely translated, it meant Little Junior.

Jose was a short, jovial Cuban-Canadian and Johnny's dad's best friend. The last time Johnny saw him was at his mother's burial over a month ago. The last time they spoke was a week after Johnny moved into the group home when he called Jose to let him know where he was living and to see if Jose had notified his dad about his mom's passing.

"Hey, how's it going?" asked Johnny.

"Couldn't be better, man," Jose replied. "What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"Um, well...I need a job," said Johnny. "Do you think you can help me out?" Jose shook his head apologetically.

"Sorry son," he said. "I have all the help I need. But you know I'd give you a job if I could."

"I understand," said Johnny. His attention immediately turned to the display window. There sat a Ludwig Legacy Classic drum kit in red sparkle finish. It was identical to the one his dad had promised him four years ago.

Jose saw what Johnny was looking at.

"You wanna give her a try?" he asked, holding out a pair of drumsticks.

"I don't know,"said Johnny. "I haven't played in so long." He still kept time on desks, tabletops and textbooks when no one was looking, using pens or pencils as sticks. But that was something he would take to his grave.

"Just go for it," said Jose. "You just might surprise yourself." Smiling, Johnny took the sticks, sat down at the kit and took a deep breath.

He started off slowly, then he began to build up momentum. Soon, it was as if his hands had a mind of their own. Johnny was in the zone.

People walking by on the street stopped to watch Johnny play. He knew they were out there, but his attention was focused on the drums. Although he did notice something out of the corner of his eye. He kept sneaking glances, never missing a beat.

Alli Bhandari was standing at the front of the crowd, slightly to the left. She had a big smile on her face. Her brother, Sav, was standing next to her with his jaw dropped. This made Johnny smirk.

Despite this slight distraction, Johnny kept going. He started to wind down and then came to a stop. The crowd outside cheered, Alli cheered the loudest. Sav put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. Johnny smiled shyly.

As good as the adrenaline rush was, Johnny became self conscious. He got up and walked away from the window.

Just then, Alli and Sav came into the store.

"Johnny!" exclaimed Alli. "I didn't know you played drums."

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Backwoods," Johnny teased.

"Apparently, Mystery Man," Alli laughed.

"Johnny, you're awesome," Sav gushed. "I'm impressed." That was the first positive thing he ever said to Johnny in, well, ever. It flattered Johnny, yet made him feel awkward. Jose approached the group.

"Yeah, Johnny's dad is a drummer," he said patting Johnny's shoulder. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, right Junito?." Johnny looked down at the floor shyly. Sav looked at Jose and blinked a few times.

"Hey, weren't you in a band called Whiskey River?" Sav had recently bought their demo CD from Recycled Records down the street.

"Yeah," said Johnny, looking up. "He was the bass player."He was surprised that yet another person his age had heard of the band.

"And Johnny's dad, Tony, was our drummer," Jose added. Johnny cringed a little.

"You know, I have the CD and saw in the booklet that the drummer's last name was DiMarco," said Sav. "But I never made the connection."

"Well,DiMarco's a pretty common last name," said Johnny. "Especially if you're in Little Italy."

"So, what's he up to now?" asked Sav. Johnny should have known that question was coming. He usually just told people his dad was dead if they asked but he wasn't sure if that was appropriate since Jose was there.

"Oh, you know, he's just laying low these days," said Jose, coming to Johnny's rescue. Sav nodded, he seemed to buy it. Johnny was relieved.

Alli knew the truth about Johnny's dad but said nothing.

"Well Sav," she said. "We need to be getting home soon. Don't forget what we came here for."

"Oh yeah," said Save, remembering. "I wanted to order some sheet music. My music teacher, Mr. Ballard, said this was the best place to order it."

"I know Ernie, we went to high school together," said Jose. "Come this way and I'll hook you up."

"Hey, Jose," said Johnny. "I gotta get going. Gotta pound the pavement some more. Bye Alli, Sav." They both waved.

"Later, John," said Jose."It was good seeing you."

Johnny set the drumsticks on the counter and walked out of the store. He wasn't aware that Spinner Mason was in the store as well.

Spinner was pretending to look at cymbals. Actually, he was trying to get up enough courage to approach Johnny. He had been watching outside too and, as much as he hated to admit it, Johnny was an awesome drummer. Better than him even.

He heard the entire conversation between Johnny and Sav.

_So it is true,_ thought Spinner. _Wow, just wow._

Spinner had been in the neighborhood running errands when he passed by the store and saw Johnny tearing it up. He had been inside The Grace Note many times before. People were always trying out the instruments, Spinner himself had sat right where Johnny was sitting and rocked out on that same drum kit. But he had never seen Johnny there. In fact, he never knew Johnny played the drums.

Johnny was two blocks down the street when he heard someone calling him.

"Hey Johnny!" the voice called."Johnny DiMarco!" Johnny turned around to see Spinner Mason running up to him. He rolled his eyes.

"I wanna talk to you, man," said Spinner breathlessly.

"Look dude," said Johnny wearily. "If this is about yesterday, I'm sorry. I don't know why I got in your face. My bad."

"No, I'm the one who should say sorry," said Spinner.

"Look," Johnny said, taking out his wallet. "I forgot to leave a tip for Holly J. Five bucks should cover it, right?"

"We wound up being hella busy last night." Spinner laughed, putting his hand up. "She more than made up for it." Then Spinner's tone changed.

"I'm sorry I doubted you about Bullet being your dad, Johnny," he said.

"It's cool," said Johnny. "I shouldn't have gone off on you like that. I shouldn't have expected you to believe me." He turned and started walking.

"I saw you playing in the window, man," said Spinner. "You really shred." Johnny turned back around and looked at him quizzically. He hadn't noticed Spinner in the crowd of people.

"Thanks," he said skeptically. Two people who have never liked him gave him compliments in one day. He wasn't used to that and it felt weird.

"Still need a job?" Spinner asked.

"Yeah," answered Johnny, still skeptical.

"Cause I still need a dishwasher."

Johnny glared at Spinner. How dare he!

"So, now that you found out who my dad is and that I can play the drums better than you, we're suddenly friends?" Johnny snapped. Spinner tried to remain calm.

"I'm not asking to be friends, Johnny," he said in an even tone. "I'm just offering you a job."

"Well, I'm not your charity case!" Johnny said icily. He turned around and stormed off. Not long after that outburst, he began to regret blowing up at Spinner once again.

_Why do I always do that to myself? _thought Johnny. _I have such a bad habit of messing things up for myself._

Alli and Sav could not stop talking about their eventful morning during the entire bus ride home. They were still talking about it as they walked through their front door.

"I used to date the son of a rock star!" Alli squealed.

"Alli, do you have any idea how big Whiskey River was in the 90s?" asked Sav.

"No Sav," said Ally. "Considering I was born in '95." Sav shrugged. He was born in '93, so he wouldn't have any idea either.

"You just have to listen to the CD of theirs I just bought from Recycled Records," Sav told his sister. Lately Sav had been into retro music and was now buying CDs from used record stores. They went into Sav's room where the CD was still in his stereo. He pushed the button and the song "Hypnotized" started playing.

"They sound line Nickelback, sorta," said Alli.

"Yeah, only better," said Sav. "I don't get how Nickelback ever signed with a major label when Whiskey River is so much better."

"It's just one of life's little mysteries, Sav," said Alli.

Meanwhile, back at The Dot, Spinner was on break, enjoying a cup of coffee with his girlfriend Jane.

"Jane," he said. "You wen to Lakehurst. How well did you know Johnny DiMarco?" She looked at him sideways.

"I've known Johnny since kindergarten," she said. "Why?"

"Has he always been so stubborn and confrontational?" asked Spinner. Jane chuckled.

"Believe it or not, Spin," she said. "He was actually a nice kid back in grade school."

"So what happened?" Spinner asked.

"Well," said Jane."In grade 8, he started having family problems and became this little bad ass."

"What kind of family problems?" Spinner was curious as he was no stranger to family problems himself.

"His mom got really sick and had to stop working,"Jane told him. "She and Johnny had to go on welfare."

"What about his dad?" asked Spinner." Did you know he was the drummer for the band Whiskey River?"

"Oh yeah," replied Jane, nodding. "I forgot about that. He used to work in the cannery in between gigs. His mom was a waitress before she got sick."

"So, then what happened?" For Spinner, something wasn't adding up here. The look on Jane's face became serious.

"Okay, I'm going to tell you something," Jane began. "But Spin, you cannot tell anyone I told you."

"Okay," Spinner said, nodding. "What is it?" Jane sighed heavily.

"Tony DiMarco was indicted four years ago for drug possession." She said. Despite the fact that Tony was somewhat of a local celebrity, neither the TV news nor the papers mentioned his name when covering the drug bust.

"Wow", Spinner replied. "No wonder he's always had such a chip on his shoulder."

Johnny didn't feel like eating dinner that night. He told his counselor, Eddie and his roommate, KC, that he wasn't feeling well. He lay on his been and thought about what Spinner had said to him and how he reacted.

Ever since Johnny was sentenced to probation, he started to slowly develop a conscience. He still harbored resentment toward certain people, namely Spinner Mason. He had learned to just stay away from him to avoid conflict. He couldn't risk violating his probation by getting in some stupid fight. If he went to jail, his mom would have been alone with no one to look out for her.

When Spinner offered him the dishwasher job on the spot, Johnny assumed he was making fun of him. Looking back, he realized Spinner was sincere.

The next day after school, Johnny went to the dot to see Spinner. When he arrived, he walked right up to the counter where Spinner and Holly J were standing.

"Can we help you?" asked Spinner. Johnny took out his wallet and pulled out a five dollar bill.

"Yeah" he said. "Last time I was here, I forgot to tip the waitress. That was rude of me. Here you go, Holly J." he handed her the money. She didn't take it, instead she just looked at Johnny in amazement.

"Dude, I told you," Spinner said smiling. "It's okay." Holly J. snapped out of her stupor.

"No Spin, it's not okay," she snapped and then snatched the bill out of Johnny's hand. "Thank you for your honesty, Johnny."

She put the five dollars in the pocket of her apron and went to go wait tables. Spinner and Johnny looked at each other nervously. Johnny took a deep breath.

"Once again, I apologize for blowing up at you," he said. "You'd think after a year and a half of anger management, I'd know better, right?

The two boys smiled at each other.

"Believe it or not,"said Spinner. "I know exactly what you're talking about." They both chuckled.

"The job's still available if you're still interested," Spinner added.

"I am actually", said Johnny.

"Can you start after school tomorrow?" Spinner

"Sure," Johnny relied. The two young men shook hands.

"I gotta be going," said Johnny. "See you tomorrow."

"Three o'clock" said Spin smiling. "Don't be late."

They waved to each other and Johnny went out the door. That had to be the easiest thing Johnny had ever done in his life.

.


	4. Chapter 4

**I would like to thank CorianderSpice and Twilightwicked5678 for beta reading this chapter.**

**Chapter 4**

Johnny arrived for his first day of work forty five minutes early. His last class let out at two o'clock and it only took fifteen minutes to walk over to The Dot from school. Spinner was surprised to see him arrive so early. But then again, Spinner half expected Johnny to not show up at all.

"Hey Johnny," he said. "You're a little early."

"Yeah well, I forgot how close this place is to school," replied Johnny.

"Well, let me show you the kitchen," said Spinner. Johnny nodded.

"Now there's no dishes to wash at the moment because the daytime guy took care of the breakfast and lunch dishes before he left. Part of your responsibilities will be to bus tables and keep the kitchen clean. Think you can handle it?" Spinner sounded very businesslike when describing Johnny's duties.

"Sure," answered Johnny. He had a lot of kitchen experience from cooking dinner for his mom and cleaning the kitchen afterwards to being assigned kitchen duty at the group home.

Johnny's shift was from three to eleven and it just flew by. He had to bite his tongue when people from school made snide remarks. He didn't want to get fired on his first day on the job.

"Wow, Johnny," Holly J told him. "You're a fast worker." She was genuinely impressed. She had been so fed up with the two slobs who had previously held this position that Johnny seemed to be the answer to her prayers.

At first, Johnny couldn't tell if she was being sincere or sarcastic. After all, she was Holly J. He almost snapped at her, but thought better of it. One thing he needed to work on was how to accept compliments gracefully.

"Thanks," he said with a shy smile. When the bus pan was full of dishes, he picked it up and took it to the back. He had just set it down next to the sink when Spinner walked in.

"You know, Johnny," he said. "You're entitled to a dinner break. You've been working your ass off."

Johnny looked at Spinner with a confused look. He had thrown himself into his work so much that he hadn't thought about eating.

"What can I get you?" asked Spinner.

"I dunno," said Johnny. "Grilled cheese?"

Johnny sat at the end of the counter eating his dinner of a grilled cheese sandwich, fries and chocolate milk shake when Jane Vaughn walked in. She had obviously come to see her boyfriend, Spinner. Johnny tuned out their lovey dovey conversation.

Jane was surprised to see Johnny sitting behind the counter wearing an apron and a Dot T-shirt. She decided to ask Spinner about it.

"Johnny works here now?" Jane couldn't believe it. Spinner had always hated Johnny. Between their conversation a couple of days ago and now this, something was definitely up.

"Yeah," said Spinner. "He needed a job and I needed a dishwasher. He's working out pretty well actually."

Jane walked over to where Johnny was sitting.

"Hi Johnny," she said. He looked up, startled. Jane hadn't spoken to him since they both transferred to Degrassi except to say things like 'get out of my way' or 'shut up back there'.

"Hello Stacha," he said. "I mean, Jane." He kept forgetting that she had changed her name from Anastacia Valieri and no longer responded to her childhood nickname.

"How's the grilled cheese?" she asked awkwardly. She didn't know what else to say.

"Good," he said skeptically. What did she want? Why were all these people being so nice to him?

"Spin says you're doing a great job," she said.

"Cool," said Johnny. Then Jane walked back over to Spinner, gave him a hug and a kiss goodbye and left. Johnny went back to work.

At the end of the night, Spinner and Holly J told Johnny what a great job he did.

"Yeah, you really kicked ass today," said Spinner.

"You certainly made my job easier," said Holly J. "The idiot who used to have this job spent more time in the alley making out with his skanky girlfriend than he did working."

She didn't have to worry about that with Johnny. He hadn't had any female companionship since Alli broke up him with a few months ago.

Spinner locked the front door and the three of them went out the back. Spinner got into his car and Holly J's boyfriend was waiting for her in his car.

Johnny didn't know anything about Declan other than his family was loaded. Johnny also knew that he could wash all the dishes in the world and he still would never be able to afford the sweet ride that guy had.

With his own car still out of commission, he walked to the bus stop. Just as he got there, it started to rain. Then, Spinner pulled up.

"Dude," said Spinner. "Want a ride?" Johnny nodded and got in the passenger side. As awkward as it was to accept a ride from someone he had once gotten into fights with, he really didn't want to wait for the bus in the rain.

"Why are you being so nice to me, man?" asked Johnny. "We used to hate each other."

"Well," said Spinner. "Let's just say it's time we bury the hatchet."

"Okay."

"Look, Johnny, I know what it's like to be one of the most hated people at school."

Johnny knew what Spinner was talking about but had never really given much thought until now. He knew from the hallway gossip that Spinner was somehow involved with the school shooting that happened at Degrassi a few years ago. The kid who did it, Rick Murray, was from Johnny's neighborhood but Johnny didn't really know him that well.

"Yeah," replied Johnny. "I heard a little about your role in that. Is it true Jimmy Brooks got shot because of something Rick heard you say?"

"Sad, but true," said Spinner. "Look, the point I'm trying to make is that I know people change. Jimmy and I became friends again and nobody really talks about that anymore."

Johnny thought about what Spinner said. He knew that Spinner was equating the school shooting to JT Yorke's stabbing. Neither Spinner nor Johnny had direct involvement in those incidents yet they each bore the blame for them.

"Yeah," said Johnny. "The accusations against me for JT Yorke's death are dying down but people still talk."

A breakthrough between two sworn enemies had just been made.

"We're both too old to be fighting anymore, Johnny," said Spinner.

"I agree,"Johnny replied nodding. "Take a right up here" Spinner turned right.

"You remember that fight we had that got caught on video?" Johnny asked.

"Like it was yesterday, unfortunately," laughed Spinner.

"I threw that fight," Johnny admitted. "I knew it was being videotaped. If I had hit you back I'd be in violation of my probation. Sorry dude, but you just weren't worth going to jail for." Spinner laughed.

"Fair enough," said Spinner. "I knew something was up when you just stood there and didn't even try and hit back."

"Seriously, though," said Johnny. "Thanks for giving me this job. I'm trying to get my life together."

"Dude," said Spinner. "I have never seen that kitchen cleaner." Both boys laughed.

"Okay, this is it," said Johnny when they reached the group home. "See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow."

A week and a half later, Johnny received his first paycheck. It was for $250. If he had worked two full weeks, it would have been $300. He now had enough money to fix his car.

His mom had always told him to be careful how he treated people.

"You never know," she would say. "You just might meet someone who's an angel in disguise."

Johnny believed this when he was younger. But when he got to high school and his life changed, he thought it was a load of crap. He loved his mom too much to tell that to her face, however.

Now, he knew that she was right.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The job was having a strange effect on Johnny as it signaled a big change not only in his life but on who he was as a person. He became less angry and he let his guard down a little more. He was also getting to know two people he never wanted to get to know before, Spinner and Holly J.

They treated him with respect and was beginning to feel comfortable with them. He could tell they had dismissed their previous impressions of him. One thing he liked to do was entertain them with stories about his bad boy days. Once, on a slow afternoon, he told them one of his favorites.

"And so my friends and I were in the alley behind Lakehurst," he began. "We were doing something we shouldn't have been..."

"Like what?" asked Spinner.

"Oh, nothing too bad, really," continued Johnny with a cocky smirk. "Just an illegal dice game."

"So those stories about you were true!" exclaimed Holly J.

"Stories?" asked Johnny with a serious look. "What stories?" Then he smiled at Holly J. She playfully swatted his arm.

"Speaking of stories," said Spinner, "I wanna hear the rest of this one. So what happened?"

"So anyway," Johnny continued. "This dorkwad teacher comes out and sees us and he's like "what're you kids doing?' Like he couldn't tell."

"I bet I know who it was," said Holly J. "Bauer."

"That would be correct," said Johnny.

"Now who's this Bauer?" asked Spinner. Johnny and Holly J exchanged looks and laughed.

"Only the stupidest teacher ever," said Holly J. rolling her eyes. "Word is, he retired. God, I hope that's true."

"Anyhow," continued Johnny. "Nic says 'Yatzee' and Bauer's all 'doesn't look like Yatzee to me, I'm going inside to call the police.'"

Spinner and Holly J started giggling. They were really enjoying this story, especially when Johnny's voice dipped lower as he imitated the teacher.

"And get this," said Johnny. "The idiot tells us to stay right where we are and don't move while he goes inside to call the cops!"

"And did you?" asked Spinner, already knowing the answer.

"Hell no!" exclaimed Johnny. "We took off in all directions just as soon as he shut the door."

The three of them laughed. Holly J and Spinner clapped their hands.

"You know, I actually miss the guy," said Holly J.

"Why?" asked Johnny.

"Because he was so easy to get over on," Holly J replied. "I remember in grade 9 using the same excuse five times for handing in my homework late. He believed me every single time. I told him Grandma Sinclair died and we had to get ready for her funeral."

"Right," said Spinner. "'Cause one person can really die five times. Is your grandma a cat or something, Holly J?"

"Sadly, no," she answered. "She passed away for real last summer."

At that moment, Danny, Sav and Jane came in.

"Customers, people," Spinner said to Johnny and Holly J. "Look busy." Holly J and Johnny went to do side work.

The three visitors approached Spinner at the counter and said hello.

"So Spin, is it true what Jane says?" asked Danny.

"Are you really leaving the band?" asked Sav.

"I have to guys," said Spinner. "I just got a promotion and I'm working more hours. Besides, Peter's dad just raised my rent and I need the extra money."

"Guys, I told you," said Jane. "I tried to work something out with him, but he just won't budge. We're gonna have to hold auditions for a new drummer. Sorry."

"We're gonna have to make up flyers and post them around school," said Sav.

"And on the bulletin board here," said Jane.

"We're not gonna find anyone in time for the next music showcase at school," Danny said shaking his head.

"Yeah, Spin," said Jane. "Can't you at least play with us then?"

"I'll see what I can do," Spinner replied. "But I can't make any promises." His three band mates looked dejected.

Suddenly the solution to their problem dawned on him.

"I know who you can get to play drums," he said, jerking his chin forward. "Look behind you."

They all turned around and saw Johnny sitting at a table organizing sugar packets.

"Yeah," said Sav turning back around. "Why didn't I think of him before?"

"Johnny DiMarco?" asked Danny, making a face.

"Yeah," said Spinner. "Sav and I saw him trying out a drum kit at the Grace Note a few weeks ago."

"His dad's a professional drummer," said Sav.

"Was a professional drummer," Jane corrected.

"Really?" inquired Danny. "Have I heard of him?"

"Remember that CD I played for you?" reminded Sav. "Whiskey River?"

"You mean the Nickelback rip off?"Danny asked.

"No, Nickelback ripped them off," argued Sav.

"Anyway," Jane interjected. "Johnny's dad was their drummer."

"Well, what's he doing now?" asked Danny. Jane and Spinner exchanged looks.

"He's just kinda laying low for now," explained Sav. He didn't really know what that meant exactly. He was just repeating what Jose had told him.

"Look," said Spinner. "Why don't we just talk to him? Hey, Johnny!"

Johnny looked up and Spinner motioned for him to come over. Apprehensively, Johnny approached the counter.

"Hi Johnny," said Jane, just as awkwardly as she did the last time they spoke.

"Hey," said Johnny.

"You know we've got a band, don't you?" asked Jane.

"Yeah." Johnny remembered when Peter Stone was the front man and how bad that band sucked. They were like a Blink 182 cover band. Johnny hated Blink 182 and he hated cover bands. He and Bruce once convinced them to enter a battle of the bands competition just so they could throw stuff at them and heckle them.

But now Stacha, or Jane rather, was the lead singer. Johnny hadn't heard them since she joined but he knew what a nice singing voice she had. When se was younger, she sang in church.

"Well," continued Jane. "Our drummer is quitting due to business obligations." She glanced at Spinner. "And he told us what a great drummer you are, so..."

"You want me to join your band," said Johnny, finishing her sentence.

"Yes!" exclaimed Jane, Sav and Spinner in unison.

"But you need to audition first," said Danny the skeptic.

"Um, okay," said Johnny apprehensively. The four band members looked at him expectantly.

"When's the audition?" asked Johnny, still unsure whether or not he wanted to do this.

"Saturday afternoon, around 4 o'clock," said Spinner, knowing that they would both be off. "At our practice space. I'll give you directions. You can use my kit."

"Sure," said Johnny.

"Cool," said Spinner.

Jane, Danny and Sav said goodbye to Spinner and Johnny and left excitedly. Johnny went back to work.

On Saturday, Johnny was about twenty minutes late to the audition. He still wasn't sure about what he was getting himself into.

"Johnny, you made it," said Spinner when he opened the door to his loft. He had been worried that Johnny wouldn't show. He handed Johnny a pair of drumsticks.

"Whenever you're ready, Johnny," Jane said. Johnny looked over at the sofa and saw Jane, Danny and Sav sitting there. Johnny nodded.

He sat down at Spinner's kit and raised his sticks up to begin to play.

"Wait," Danny interrupted. "Who are your biggest influences?" Like that even mattered at this point.

"Um, Joey Jordison." said Johnny, naming the more talented one of Slipknot's two drummers.

"Come on, Danny," said Sav, irritated. "Will you just let him play? Go ahead, Johnny."

Johnny started out slowly and then started building momentum. Soon he was sounding just like his idol. He'd had plenty of practice playing along with Slipknot MP3's when no one was around.

When Johnny finished playing, the room fell silent. Jane and Danny sat there with their jaws dropped while Sav and Spinner smiled.

"See?" said Spinner. "What did we tell you?"

"Can he play or what?" said Sav.

"Johnny," said Jane, impressed. "Who knew that tapping on a textbook with pencils back in grade school would pay off? And all those years I though you did it just to be annoying."

Johnny smiled, remembering how she always used to turn around in class and tell him to knock it off.

"Well everybody," said Spinner. "What's the verdict?"

"He's in," said Danny, Jane and Sav in unison.

"Johnny?" he said, waiting for an answer. Johnny thought about it for a while.

"Okay, I'll do it," he said. "But there are conditions.

"Like..."Jane podded.

"First of all, I refuse to play any song written by Peter Stone about his sad little life." Everybody laughed.

"And second of all, you gotta change the name of the band."

"Those sound reasonable to me," said Jane. "Guys?"

"Sure," said Danny.

"Okay," said Sav.

Jane had been getting the guys to change the name for a while and, even though Peter was their friend, he still had some issues to work out with his meth addiction.

Spinner invited everyone to stay and hangout at the loft for a while. They ordered a pizza, sat and chilled and talked about music.

The band had been talking about changing direction for a while but they weren't really sure what to do. Jane hated the name Janie and the Studs and really wanted to change the name.

"Can we start with the name change please?" she pleaded. Everyone looked at Johnny.

"How 'bout Tempting Fate?" said Johnny without even thinking. Tempting fate was something he had a habit of doing. The others thought about it for a minute and nodded their heads.

"I like it," said Jane..

"Yeah," said Danny. "It's mysterious, yet..."

"Edgy," said Sav.

"So, Tempting Fate it is," said Spinner..

To get ready for the Master Music Showcase at Degrassi in a few weeks, the band got together on several occasions to work on some new songs. They kept the Janie and the Studs song "Good Times" but they needed more. Johnny came up with the title to one song about how, when something is too good to be true, people want to believe it anyway.

"Let's call it 'The Willful Suspension of Disbelief'" he said. That was one of his favorite literary and film terms.

They even took a song that Sav wrote for his girlfriend, Anya and reworked it. They slowed down the tempo, turning it into a rock ballad. Then they changed the title from 'My One and Only Anya' to 'My One and Only Baby' and changed the lyrics to make them more universal.

The day of the showcase seemed to sneak up on Johnny and he felt like he wasn't ready. But he couldn't let his new band mates know he was scared. Besides, this was his first time playing in a band, something he had been dreaming of for as long as he could remember.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This is the last chapter of the story. I would like to thank CorianderSpice and Twilightwicked5678 for beta reading this story for me. I would also like to thank Kari Suttle, this story's biggest fan, for posting a review every time I've updated. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi, the song "Free Will" by Rush or iPod.**

**Chapter 5**

It was the day of the Master Music Showcase at school and the band was bringing their equipment downstairs from Spinner's loft. Soon after everything was downstairs, their roadie, Peter Stone, pulled up in his van. He got out of the van and opened the back door.

Johnny picked up the bass drum and was about to load it into the van when Peter stopped him.

"Whoa!" objected Peter. "What's _he_ doing here? Don't tell me I've been replaced as roadie."

"Nope," said Johnny.

"He's our new drummer," said Sav.

"You know how to play drums?" Peter asked Johnny incredulously.

"I know how to do a lot of things," Johnny challenged. "Including owning your ass."

"Oh, is that right?" Peter laughed bitterly.

"Peter," said Johnny, making direct eye contact. "I made out with your girlfriend on the roof of the school, stole your iPod without you even knowing and now I'm in the band you got kicked out of. Consider yourself owned."

Peter just glared at Johnny not knowing what to say back.

"Okay," said Spinner the peacemaker. "Let's get the gear loaded into the van, shall we?.We don't want Tempting Fate to be late for their first gig." Peter looked at Spinner in shock.

"Tempting Fate?You changed the name again too?"

"Yup,"said Jane, loading the last amp into the van. Begrudgingly, Peter slammed the back door shut and got back into the driver's seat.

The band said goodbye to Spinner, got in Johnny's car and followed the van to the school.

Tempting Fate was going to be the last act to perform in the showcase. When Sav told Mr. Ballard about the name and personnel changes, Mr. Ballard was surprised to hear that Johnny DiMarco was in the band. The only time he saw Johnny in the music room was when he hosted the last showcase. Johnny was serving detention by spending that whole week cleaning the music room.

_I'm gonna have to get used to people being shocked that I can play drums,_ thought Johnny.

When Mr. Ballard finally announced Tempting Fate, the band took the stage. The room fell completely silent. Johnny couldn't figure out if it was because of the name change, because he was up there, or both.

"Hey guys," said Jane into the microphone. "You all may know us as Janie and the Studs. But we have a new name and we made some transformation." Still, there was no reaction from the crowd. The band mates looked at each other nervously.

"We are Tempting Fate," Jane continued. "Let me introduce you to the band. First of all, I'm Jane and I sing lead." The students graciously clapped.

"On guitar, we have Sav Bhandari" Sav played a short riff and got a slightly bigger reception.

"And on bass, here is Danny VanZandt." Danny played a bass riff and got an applause similar to Sav's

"And last but not least, allow me to introduce to you our brand new drummer. Presenting the one, the only Johnny DiMarco!" Jane purposely dragged out Johnny's introduction to build suspension.

Johnny stared at the small crowd gathered in front of the stage. They all stared back at him. Then he began to play.

He launched into a drum solo that would put Tommy Lee to shame. He played a lot longer than Sav and Danny had played. When he finished, he twirled the stick in his right hand.

The crowd did not react, initially.

Then some in the back of the room started clapping slowly and steadily. Everyone else joined in, and soon, the clapping turned into a raucous applause.

Johnny noticed his friend, Bruce The Moose, in the back of the room. He never attended these things and Johnny never told him about the band.

Holly J was standing with Anya and Chante, Sav and Danny's girlfriends. She looked pleasantly surprised. Alli was standing with KC and all the other Baby Geniuses. KC and Alli were probably cheering the loudest. Johnny was both proud and amazed.

"Okay," Jane shouted into the microphone. "Now that our drummer got everyone all riled up, it's time to take it down a couple of notches. We'd like to play a ballad for you. It's called 'My one and Only Baby'."

The band played what would later come to be their signature ballad. The audience listened intently. When the song was finished, the crowd applauded just as loudly and excitedly as they had for Johnny's solo.

A few people approached Johnny as he was packing up the drum kit he borrowed from Spinner. Alli was the first to congratulate him.

"I still can't get over how good you are!" she squealed. "Can I be president of your fan club?"

"It would be an honor, Backwoods," he told her with his trademark smirk.

"Johnny, that was awesome!" said KC. "Consider me vice president." Johnny laughed.

"Dude!" Johnny heard a big, booming voice. He looked up and saw Bruce.

"Hey Bruce," said Johnny. "How'd ya hear about this? You never come watch these things."

"Well, thanks to one of your band mates who can't keep his mouth shut, I decided to come see it for myself," said Bruce. Apparently, Sav had leaked the top secret information.

"You know, man," continued Bruce. "I expected you to totally suck. But you rock, Johnny."

"Thanks a lot Sullivan," Johnny said sarcastically.

When Johnny was done packing up the drum kit, Mr. Ballard approached him.

"I remember your dad from high school, Johnny," he said. "And from Whiskey River. I always wondered if you would follow in his footsteps."

"Well," said Johnny. "He did teach me everything he knows. I've been playing on and off since I was three." _More off than on,_ thought Johnny.

"I'm glad you decided to stop hiding your talent," said Mr. Ballard.

The next day, the Anti Grapevine was abuzz with news about Degrassi's newest celebrity.

"_Seems that bad boy, Johnny DiMarco, is a diamond in the rough. If you were lucky enough to see yesterday's Master Music Showcase you witnessed Johnny's killer drum solo. Who knew? Eat your heart out, Lars Ulrich."_

Johnny was surprised Chante even knew who Lars Ulrich was.

As Johnny and Bruce were eating lunch in the caf, people kept coming to their table to congratulate Johnny. He didn't even know the name of most of these people. Bruce kept telling them he was Johnny's bodyguard. No one cared.

Alli walked by and Johnny called out to her.

"Hey Backwoods, how's my favorite groupie?" Alli giggled.

"Hi Johnny."

"Why don't you come and sit with us?" he said. She walked over and sat down next to Johnny.

"Are you sure this is okay?' she asked shyly.

"Well, it seems that I can do no wrong," said Johnny.

"I noticed," said Alli. "I'm so glad that people see the great guy that I know instead of making unfair judgments." Johnny leaned in close to Alli.

"Ya know what, Bhandari?"he whispered. "I don't care what these people think. But it is nice to be known for something other than causing trouble." Alli giggled.

Sav and Danny walked by and stopped at Johnny's table.

"Dude, this band is gonna totally kick ass, thanks to you," said Sav.

"Yeah," said Danny. "Spin was good but you're awesome."

"Thanks," said Johnny.

For the rest of the day, people continued to congratulate Johnny and at work, the accolades just kept coming.

"Over here, Johnny! Let me shake your hand."

"You're the man, Johnny!"

As funny as it made Johnny feel, he figured he might as well enjoy it while it lasted. He went all around the restaurant giving high fives, autographing napkins, that sort of thing. At first he thought it was a nuisance but as the night wore on, it actually made time go by faster.

"I guess I don't have to ask you how the show went, do I?" said Spinner. "Too bad I was chained to the register and couldn't go man."

"Am I ever gonna get used to not being despised?" asked Johnny.

"Of course dude," laughed Spinner.

The shift had finally come to an end. Holly J had to leave early so, after splitting her tips with Johnny, he and Spinner were left alone to close up. They had finished everything early and decided to sit a while before going home. They talked about their drumming influences.

"Travis Barker," said Spinner.

"Tommy Lee," challenged Johnny.

"Chad Smith" replied Spinner.

"Lars Ulrich," said Johnny.

"Tre Cool," said Spinner.

"Joey Jordison,"said Johnny.

"Neil Peart," said both boys in unison. They laughed.

"Dude," said Johnny. "You can't be a drummer or a Canadian and not acknowledge the greatest drummer of all time."

"Who you tellin'?" Spinner said. He then began drumming on the table and launched into an a capella rendition of the song "Free Will".

_You can choose a ready guide_

_In some celestial voice_

(SLAP SLAP)

_If you choose not to decide_

_You still have made a choice_

Johnny joined in the drumming and singing.

_You can choose from phantom fears _

_And kindness that can kill_

(SLAP SLAP)

_I will choose a path that's clear_

_I will choose free will_

The boys stopped drumming and singing and erupted into laughter. Spinner checked his watch.

"It's getting late,"he said. "Time to go."

"We'll have to do this again some time," joked Johnny.

"Oh, we totally have to," laughed Spinner.

The boys went out the back, said good night to each other, and got in their cars. Johnny started his car and turned on the radio. It was tuned to the classic rock station, Johnny's favorite.

"_And now for a song by our hometown heroes, Rush. This is 'Free Will'."_

As Johnny drove home, he tapped the steering wheel. A big smile came across his face.

Two blocks away, Spinner was listening to the same radio station, tapping the steering wheel and smiling.

**All the musicians and bands mentioned in this story are real except Tempting Fate and Whiskey River. I don't own or legally represent those that are real.**


End file.
